The intrauterine copper spiral or helical contraceptive devices presently in use are generally formed of a unitary plastic member comprising an elongated body portion and an integrally formed transversal portion formed at one of the body portion ends and projecting outwardly therefrom. In construction, such conventional spiral contraceptive devices are formed by winding copper wire around the entire body portion to form the spiral or helical component.
Such conventional copper spiral contraceptive devices are not entirely satisfactory since it is necessary during manufacture to wind the spiral or helical component onto the body portion. This manufacturing operation comprises a separate and distinct step in the overall manufacturing process and is time consuming.
Furthermore, in such conventional copper spiral intrauterine devices, the copper spiral is wound around the entire length of the body portion of the device despite the fact that the portion of the helix or spiral in the vicinity of the lower part of the body portion, i.e., that part of the body portion which is remote from the transversal portion, has little or no contraceptive effect. Despite the fact that such lack of contraceptive effect is known, prior art contraceptive devices of this type are formed with the copper helix or spiral along the entire body portion for reasons of ease in manufacture.